World AIDS Day Thoughts And Events

I didn’t have a heartfelt World AIDS day story this time round. I couldn’t even post a tweet with alarming statistics of some sort – hence my late post. It took me a while to sort out my feelings after which I realized that I’m not any less passionate about the issue.  It’s just that after years of having lost ( and continuing to lose) friends and family to AIDS – this statement, albeit cliché, summarizes what I would want to say.

Remember the 3 ‘P’s; Precaution, Prevention, and Protection

But that’s not all I would like to say

If you can, try to attend at least one World AIDS Day event. The Minnesota Department of Health has a comprehensive list of World AIDS Day Events around the state. I have also highlighted a few that may be of particular interest to our readers (because they are either African – themed or have been put together by some good folk in our community).

Dorcus Widows Fund in Minnesota supports widows in Uganda.

by Nelima

Just wanted to share this article in the Star Tribune about three Minnesotan women who set up a fund to support Ugandan widows. Kudos to the organizers of the Dorcas Widows Fund and keep up the good work!

The Dorcas Widows Fund, named for a woman in the Bible known for her charitable deeds, has been started by three Minnesota women to help destitute widows in Uganda.

The Ugandan women, and their children, were thrown out of their homes after their husbands died, often from HIV/AIDS, in accordance with local custom permitting relatives of the deceased husband or members of his clan to seize his property. About half the women have AIDS or are HIV-positive themselves.

Read the story in its entirety here.

HIV & Male Circumcision: More to consider during this week of Awareness.

The article below was sent out on World AIDS Day. Also, you can listen to minneAfrican writer Yeamah on last Saturday’s African Roots Connection radioshow talking about AWAD and HIV awareness.

Circumcision Cuts HIV Infection in African Men: Are there implications for the U.S.?
By Wynfred Russell (wynfred@umn.edu)

For well over two decades, Sub-Saharan Africans have been fighting the insidious spread of HIV with everything from latex condoms and faith-based programs to an array of drug cocktails, yet the disease has continued unabated. Now, an unorthodox prevention method shows promise. Health care providers and HIV experts are putting their hopes in a mundane and low cost, but powerful weapon against new infections: male circumcision.

“Stop AIDS, keep the PROMISE.”

Image taken from www.poz.com

By Yeamah

Two VERY important anniversaries will be taking place next week, as the month of December begins: the (big) 20th commemoration of World AIDS Day and the 5th annual African World AIDS Day event.

In 1988, the World Health Organization and the U.N. General Assembly first declared December 1 as “World AIDS Day.” So, 20 years later, on 12-01-2008, will be a day of rememberence; we will be reminded that we are still living amidst a global epidemic.  An epidemic that seems to perpetually be hitting the African continent the worst.